Collection Vs. Accumulation

[SAK Guy]

SAK Alox Soldiers, Farmers and Pioneers (traditional scout patterns) were my focus for a couple of years but tend to buy stuff I like and particularly after the fire that took most of my knives, I tend to buy multiples if available.

Here are gratuitous pics illustrating my disorder.....

Mostly trying to buy stuff I lost...maybe. Collection, accumulation? Not sure anymore....I like really traditional stuff too...the only problem....lack of funds!

 

[glennbad]

I guess I would call mine an accumulation, although I am more of a knife hoarder...

I do go after a few certain types/brands, but for the most part, I buy what I like or what is a bargain. I have been fortunate enough to find some valuable knives at flea markets and antique stores, but I know I would never get out of my knives what I have put into them. I also have many more knives than I could realistically use, but that doesn't stop me from collecting and admiring them.

I like to think of myself as doing my part to preserve some of the history of cutlery, before it rusts away, is thrown away, or becomes obsolete in society.

Glenn

 

[Bob6794]

SAK Alox Soldiers, Farmers and Pioneers (traditional scout patterns) were my focus for a couple of years but tend to buy stuff I like and particularly after the fire that took most of my knives, I tend to buy multiples if available.

Here are gratuitous pics illustrating my disorder.....

Mostly trying to buy stuff I lost...maybe. Collection, accumulation? Not sure anymore....I like really traditional stuff too...the only problem....lack of funds!

I always wondered if you lived up to your name, I think this answers it.

And in keeping with the thread I am not a knife collector, but more of a accumulator if you had to label it. But mainly I buy knives to use and after awhile 1 knife turns into 2, 3, 4, etc. And they keep multiplying. Not that big of a deal as it's a hobby trying to find the "perfect" knife, and as long as you keep it within your budget your good. It also helps knives take up almost no space considering I can fit all mine in a pencil box if I really wanted to.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

I agree with you, Bob6794, in the fact that knives, (especially pocket knives), take up such little space. With me being a divorced man and living in a nice & tidy, but small living space... I find my growing knife collection does not overwhelm my space. It has worked well for me as far as a hobby entertainment, and as a living space decoration

 

[chouse]

I have accumulation that is constantly changing. I also have a small collection of Remingtons shown here. One example for each of the handle materials used by Remington going by the last number of the pattern numbers 0-9. Now I am trying to slowly upgrade to better examples with etched blades.

 

[k12cop]

I'm an accumulating collector who uses his knives...my collection consists of Saks and a few camillus but they're all users, even the rare ones.

 

[burnside]

SAK Alox Soldiers, Farmers and Pioneers (traditional scout patterns) were my focus for a couple of years but tend to buy stuff I like and particularly after the fire that took most of my knives, I tend to buy multiples if available.

Here are gratuitous pics illustrating my disorder.....

Mostly trying to buy stuff I lost...maybe. Collection, accumulation? Not sure anymore....I like really traditional stuff too...the only problem....lack of funds!

Great pics! :thumbup:

I do not collect or keep a collection of knives as a knife collector would. I have a small collection of users and edc knives which can change at any given time.

I enjoy buying and selling knives in search of the perfect keepers. Right now I'm mostly an accumulator of SAKs, but I still have a few other traditionals and they're all users for the most part. If I decide one of my knives is not going to be a user, I usually sell it at a price to cover what I paid for it plus the shipping (if it is a collectable knife that has value that is).

At the moment my accumulation consists of two single spearpoint Charlows, a 2011 BladeForums knife, a Northfield #48 Diamond Jack, a NO.7 Opinel, a Case Mini Copperlock, my late grandfather's Ulster equal end jack, and a small handful of SAKs. I'd definitely say I'm an accumulator and not a 'collector'.

If I could, I would probably be a real collector of knives in one way or another. It's just not realistic for me at this point to do so, so I have a lot of fun accumulating a small collection of users. I also get to handle a lot of great knives in the process of finding the 'keepers'. I consider doing this a hobby of sorts, and I actually gain a lot of knowledge about knives I wouldn't have otherwise. One day I might focus on a specific area of knives to collect, but until then, I will stick to a small handful of users and maybe just one or two safe-queens (usually as back-up knives for a limited knife or two that I keep as users).

 

[PocketEdge]

Thank you very much for all the great replies so far!! Thanks Bruno for your sincere and succinct reply! I am feeling better about my accumulation. I feel like we are all similar in the way we just plain appreciate what a pocket knife does to us sometimes. I sometimes feel I just buy one, sell one, use one then place it on the shelf then later sell it to buy a new one. Well that is precisely what I do and I guess that's O.K. as long as it's fun!

 

[SAK Guy]

I always wondered if you lived up to your name, I think this answers it.

Great pics! :thumbup:

Thank you!

 

[thawk]

What does it matter what you call it? Why define? it only diminishes your enjoyment.
I collect rocks. I will never use any of them as a rock ever again. Does that make them worthless as a collection? or do I need to throw them at something to fulfill some sort of purpose?
All of this defining is confusing.

What kind of rocks do you EDC?

 

[jc57]

I haven't been at this as long as many (most) folks, so my observations are from someone who has been interested in knives in general for only about a year, and traditionals for a few months less than that.

I don't consider myself a collector. I consider myself as someone who has bought way too many knives, but doesn't seem currently inclined to sell any of them. None were purchased with the expectation of them increasing in value, or as an investment. I just like the variety too much, in sizes, patterns, colors, steels, and handle materials. I like every knife I ever purchased. I just don't need them all.

I'm no longer in the accumulation phase. I have all that I need or want for the moment. I'm going to try to spend time getting to know and use some of the ones I already have. Maybe as I go through that process I'll go through a selling phase until I have streamlined my "collection" to just those knives I really want to own. Or maybe I'll leave the unused knives in their boxes for the next 20 years or so, and let someone find some unexpected gems at my estate sale.

 

[TucsonMik]

I have accumulation that is constantly changing. I also have a small collection of Remingtons shown here. One example for each of the handle materials used by Remington going by the last number of the pattern numbers 0-9. Now I am trying to slowly upgrade to better examples with etched blades.

That's a very cool display case, I really like that! Are those price stickers original? Any idea how old the case is or how far back those prices go? Sorry to hammer you with questions but that's gotta be old.

 

[chouse]

Remington Dupont would be in the 1930's as I recall. Prices are original to the display case and the drawer in the back still has the pattern numbers written on the sections.

 

[Kansas Mike]

My knives generally fall into one category, but sometimes more.

Knives for using at work (dirty factory environment that is hard on knives): Usually a modern folder that you can open with one hand (i.e. Spyderco Tenacious, Boker Kalishnakov, Benchmade Griptillian, Kershaw Cryo, etc.) and a SAK (don't know what it is except it's yellow with a grippy inlay and made by Wenger).

EDC knives outside of work; includes both modern and traditionals. These knives are all over the board. I usually have a 1 or 2 blade folder on me, and sometimes a SAK. I used to carry a multitool but don't any more unless I'm fishing or backpacking. Quite often I find myself with a Barlow or Sodbuster, these are my two favorite patterns. In the last year I've worked a AKC Leverletto into the rotation.

Backpacking/outdoor knives: SAK's, multitools, Moras, etc.

Collection specific; I have around 20 Barlow knives and half a dozen sodbusters. I really like these knives and continue to buy them knowing I don't really need them. My grandpa carried a Barlow and it was one of my first knives. Advertising Barlows are something I have a hard time passing up.

 

[quattromori]

I was never able to really collect anything myself; I tried a few times, with different items, but always gave up. I think there is some sort of genetic disposition towards collecting, and I don't have it. To me, collecting knives means choosing a path and following it, be it Barlows or advertising knives or 19th century Sheffield lobster knives or Case Peanuts or harness jacks or whatever. It's not really about what you collect, it's much more of a dedication to a certain cathegory which, for known or unknown reasons, gets under our skin. Since it's not something I am capable of, I really value it
As for accumulating knives, that's more common indeed. I try to keep away from it as well though...but that's just me

Fausto

 

[neeman]

If my accumulation has a very strong bias, then does it become a collection?

I mainly have Queen and S&M slip joints
Did I collect the Cocobola ones?
I have quite a few Queen #26 stockmans in all sorts of scales, a collection
I have a collection of Case in yella CV

I have a collection of customs by Aaron Wolf, where I have a large and small knives in the different styles
A nice accumulation of Blind Horse knives

Some of these are unused to be sold at a later date
And some are sharpened and users